Electric flasher



July 2, 1935. w. HUPPERT ELECTRIC FLASHER Filed Oct. l2, 1952 NVEINTOR.

Patented July 2, 1935 UNITED STATES PAT ENT UFFICE ELECTRIC FLASHE New York Applcait'on Oclober 12, 19353', Serial N0. 637,395

1 Claim.

This` invention relates to' electric flashers, for interrupting electric circuits to intermittently flash lights or operate motors.

Ani object of this invention is to provide' a device of thc character described in the' form of a combination plug and socket iitting having highly improved means' for mounting the current carrying portions and theiinostatic' elements on a single wall ofv the flasher, the parts being furthermore compactly arranged within a housing 'to permit an easy assembling.

A further object of this invention is toprovide acompact andv rugged deviceof the character described, which shall be comparatively cheap ofY manufacture, easy to assemble, and` practical andv efficient tov a high degree' in use.

Qthei` objects of this invention' will` in' part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the fean f; tures of construction, combinations of elements,

and arrangement of parts which will be exempli-fied in the construction hereinafter described, and oi which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claim.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of this invention,

l is a perspective View 0f a device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an axial sectional View of the device shown in Fig, l;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. i is an axial, sectional View of a device embodying the invention and illustrating a modilied construction.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, and particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 thereof, I0 designates a flasher device embodying the invention,

here shown for the purpose of illustration only,

in the form of a combination plug and socket tting.

The device I il comprises a shell il having a cylindrical outer metallic portion l2 formed with inwardly extending rim flanges I4 and l5 at the opposite ends thereof. Seated on the lower fiange I5 is a circular disc l5 of insulating material, preferably formed with a shoulder Il' for receiving the ange I5. The disc i5 may be formed with a pair of parallel slots I8 for receiving the usual plug blades of another fitting. Contacting the other flange I4 is a disc I9 like- Wise made of insulating material and disposed. within the cylindrical shell I2; and between the discs I6 and I9 is a cylindrical lining member 2i! made of any suitable insulating material and adapted to contact and retain the discs seated on and in contact with the rim flanges I4 and l5, respectively. y

The disc I9 may' likewise be provided with plug 5 blade receiving slots 22' aligned with the slots I8 of the lower disc. Mounted on said disc' I9l is av plug blade 24 extending, through one of the openings 22 and having a foot portion 25 extending outwardly and contacting the inner surface of said disc I9. Attached to said foot portion 23 is a spring contact member or blade 28 fixed' to said foot portion by means of a rivet 2l, a metallic washer 28 being interposed between said blade 26 and said foot portion. It willv be noted that the rivet 2`I extends through the disc I9 and serves to attach together the blades 24 and iand mount'thfe saine on said disc.Y 4'

A secondv plug blade 3l), similar to' blade 24 and symmetrically disposed with respect thereto, may likewise be mounted on the disc I9 and extends through the other slot 22 therein. The blade 30 likewise has a foot portion 3| disposed within the housing and attached to the disc by means of an eyelet or rivet 33. The foot portion 3|, however, 25 is insulated from the rivet 33 by means of a small bushing 34 made of insulating material having a tubular portion extending through an opening within said foot portion, There is also attached to said foot portion 3l an L-shaped contact blade 35 lying against the inner surface of the disc, which is recessed for partially receiving the same; said blade .a5 being insulated from the rivet 33 but contacting said foot portion 3l. It will be noted that said blade 35 is provided with a portion 36 parallel to a plane through the blades 24 and 3D, the outer end of said portion 36 being spaced from the blade 24. The rivet 33, further serves to attach to the disc I9 a thermostatic unit comprising a bi-metallic thermostatic blade 3'I el' likewise of L-shape and superimposing the blade 35. The blade 3l, however, is parallel to and spaced from the blade 35 and is insulated therefrom by means of the bushing 34.

Mounted on said blade 3l is an asbestos sleeve 38 carrying a thin heating wire 39 attached at one end 43 thereof to the blade 35 and at the other end 4|' thereof to said blade 3'I. The rivet 33 further serves to attach a spring contact blade 44, similar to the blade 2E, to the therniostatic il blade 3l. The blade 44 is thus insulated from the blades 35 and 39. The blades 35 and 31 are provided with contact points 46 and 41, respectively, at the free ends thereof.

The operation of the device will now be understood. Current enteringthe blade 3U Will pass to the blade 35 and then through the wire 39 to the blade 31 and thence to the spring contact blade 44. The wire 39 will then be heated for causing the free end of the blade 31 to bend for causing the contact point 41 to engage the contact point 46. The current will then be short circuited from the heating coil 39 to permit the same to cool and permit the blade 31 tomove out of Contact with respect to the blade 35. The operation is then repeated continuously. The current passes directly through the blade 24 to the blade 25. It will be noted that the rivet 33 serves to mount the blades 3D and 35, as well as the blade 31 and the spring contact blade 44 to the disc' I9 with the blades 31 and M insulated from the blades 30 and 35 except through the heating wire. Thus all of the current carrying parts are mounted on the disc I9 and may be assembled therewith sepan rately and then incorporated into the shell.

In Fig. 4 of the drawing, there is shown a modin ed construction wherein the shell 59 comprises a portion 5i made of insulating material such as a phenol-condensate product, having a bottom wall 52 and a cylindrical wall 53. The open end of the wall 53Vis formed with a shoulder 54 ren ceiving an insulating disc 55. The end wall 52 is formed with a pair of parallel slots 58 for receiving plug blades from another fitting. The disc 55 is seated on the shoulder 55 and may be attached to the shell 5| by means of a screw 5t having a head 6l disposed within a countersunk opening in the end wall 52 and having a screw threaded end portion 62 engaging the threads within a screw threaded opening in said disc. Said disc 55 is likewise formed with parallel slots 63 aligned with slots 58. Y

The blades and thermostatc unit shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing may be mounted on the disc 55 the same as they are mounted on the disc I9, as illustrated in said Fig. 2.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the-accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A iiasher device for electric circuits comprising a shell made of insulating material and having a bottom Wall and an annular wall extending from said bottom wall, the edge of said annular Wall being formed with an internal shoulder, a disc closing the open end of said shell and contacting said internal shoulder, a screw extending through said bottom wall and having an outer end thereof screwed to said disc, a pair of substantially similarsymmetrically disposed blades attached to said disc and adapted t0 be contacted by blades of another fitting, a contact blade within said shell in electrical contact with one of said pair of blades, a cooperating thermostat blade in said shell insulated from said one of said pair of blades and from said contact blade, a heating coil on said thermostat blade, one end of which is connected to the thermostat bladeV and the other end of which is attached to said contact blade, said contact blade, thermostat blade and one of said pair of blades being fastened to said disc by a single fastening device.

WILLIAM HUPPERT. 

